Three-minute Thesis Competition

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Thanks to a generous sponsorship from the National Institute of Social Sciences, we are able to offer prizes for a juried competition in which graduate students who have completed (or expect to complete) their Master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation in the 2022-23 academic year will be given a chance to summarize their project in three minutes.

Last year, the grand prize ($400) went to Stephanie Jacobs for “Nature is my Higher Power: Ontological ‘Prospecting’ in Addiction-Recovery.” First runner up ($200) went to Dustin Reuther for “Dulac-You-Wanna: Cultural Heritage and Subsiding Ecologies in Louisiana’s Coastal Marsh.” The second runner-up ($100) went to Justin Haruyama for “Mining for Coal and Souls: Modes of Relationality in Emerging Chinese-Zambian Worlds.”

AAA judging criteria:

  • The presentation must be understandable for a general audience, as jurors will be journalists expecting an appropriate angle for a feature news story. We will be adhering to the University of Queensland rules for this competition.
  • Make sure to introduce yourself (name, affiliation, accessibility description … e.g. white male with brown hair and wearing black-framed glasses). This will not be part of the time limit.

Comprehension and content – To what extent:

  • Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed, while explaining terminology and avoiding jargon?
  • Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?
  • Was the thesis topic, research significance, results/impact and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?

Engagement and communication – To what extent:

  • Did the presentation make the audience want to know more?
  • Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
  • Did the PowerPoint slide (restricted to a single slide) enhance the presentation – was it clear, legible, and concise?

Submit a link to your video using this form by September 30. 

Questions?

Contact Jeff Martin, director of communications & public affairs at jmartin at americananthro dot org.

We want to express our concern for our members and colleagues in the potentially affected areas as we monitor Hurricane Milton. As we approach our Annual Meeting scheduled for November 20-23, we will keep you updated on any developments and how they may impact our plans in Tampa. In the meantime, we hope everyone stays safe and takes the necessary precautions.

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